Leftorium: Prielipp and Rojas Dominate on Mound in 5-1 Saints Victory
IL St. Paul Saints

Leftorium: Prielipp and Rojas Dominate on Mound in 5-1 Saints Victory

Published on April 16, 2026 under International League (IL)
St. Paul Saints News Release


ST. PAUL, MN - It went just the way they drew it up. The St. Paul Saints plan going into Thursday night's game at CHS Field was to get five innings from Connor Prielipp, turn it over to a piggyback situation and get Kendry Rojas three plus innings, and have a reliever finish it off. That's exactly how it worked as the Saints came away with a 5-1 win over the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in front of 3,939.

Prielipp came out of the gates and retired the first five men he faced before giving up a two-out single to Óscar Mercado in the second. Prielipp wasn't bothered and ended the inning with a ground ball fielder's choice.

The most impressive inning of the night for Prielipp came in the third when he struck out the side on 12 pitches.

After squandering a bases loaded, no out opportunity in the second, the Saints broke through in the third. Aaron Sabato led off the inning with a double to right-center and then took third on a wild pitch. With two outs Alan Roden poked a single through the right side, scoring Sabato giving the Saints a 1-0 lead. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, and Orlando Arcia made it 2-0 with an RBI infield single to third.

Prielipp made just one mistake on the night, and it came in the fourth when Steward Berroa cracked a leadoff homer to left, his second of the season, cutting the Saints lead to 2-1. Prielipp went 5.0 innings allowing one run on four hits while walking one and striking out a career-high eight.

The Saints doubled their run output in the sixth. With one out Tanner Schobel singled to right and Sabato followed with a single to center. With two outs Kaelen Culpepper ripped an RBI double down the first base line increasing the Saints lead to 3-1. Roden then hit a chopper to the right of third baseman Carter Kieboom and the best he could do was knock it down as Roden reached on an infield single giving the Saints a 4-1 lead. Roden collected his second straight three-hit game going 3-5 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored.

Rojas once again had his fastball humming as he fanned the first batter he faced, Berroa. He allowed a single in the sixth and seventh, but nothing else as he entered his third inning of work in the eighth.

The Saints added an insurance run in the seventh when Alex Jackson reached on a fielder's choice, Schobel walked, and Sabato drilled an RBI double to left making it 5-1. Sabato went 3-4 with two doubles, the seventh time in his career he's achieved that, an RBI, and two runs scored.

With two outs in the eighth Rojas gave up a single to Berroa and walked Bryan De La Cruz, but he ended the inning by punching out Felix Reyes. Rojas would face one batter in the ninth and retired Christian Cairo on a groundout. Rojas went 3.1 shutout innings allowing three hits while walking one and striking out two.

John Brebbia finished off the pitching masterpiece by retiring the lone two batters he faced, including striking out Kieboom to end the game.

The same two teams meet in game four of a six-game series on Friday night at 6:37 p.m. at CHS Field. The Saints send RHP Zebby Matthews (0-2, 8.76) to the mound against IronPigs RHP Connor Gillispie (3-0, 0.00). The game can be seen on FOX 9+, MLB.TV, MLB+, and the Bally Live app, presented by Northland Ford Dealers, and heard on KFAN Plus, 96.7 FM.

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International League Stories from April 16, 2026


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